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Category Archives: High Seas

Expanding US Maritime Reach: The Case for a USVI Open Registry – The Maritime Executive

Posted: December 22, 2021 at 12:46 am

Could the answer to expanding the United States maritime reach be found in a Caribbean territory? The U.S. and USVI flags in St. Thomas, 2018 (file image courtesy Lorie Shaull / CC BY 2.0)

PublishedDec 21, 2021 12:53 PM by Jeremy Greenwood

An interesting proposal has been floated by the Massachusetts-based Northeast Maritime Institute Center for Ocean Policy and Economics (COPE) highlighting the need for an expanded role for the United States in international maritime shipping. Specifically, their Revitalization Plan for U.S. Maritime Trade, Commerce and Strategic Competition calls for the creation of a responsibly managed international open vessel registry based in the U.S. Virgin Islands. This second U.S. registry proposal would allow a United States territory flag to fly on a much larger fleet of vessels engaged in international trade around the world, while allowing for U.S. oversight and environmentally friendly practices to set an example in the often murky world of open registries or flags of convenience. This proposal deserves consideration as a potentially useful tool in the growing competition for maritime dominance with China. As stated previously in this journal, Americas maritime power depends just as much on its civilian maritime prowess as it does on its military dominance. Perhaps the creation of a U.S. Virgin Islands registry can expand our economic reach, reform the opaque world of open registries and respect the domestic Jones Act trade currently conducted under the U.S. flag.

While the entire proposal contains several actionable items that merit a closer read, including the construction of an environmentally green automated port in the Virgin Islands; the creation of an independent, yet closely overseen, U.S. Virgin Islands ship registry is quite interesting to think about. The concept of a territorial possession second flag registry is not unique. The United Kingdom has long had Crown oversight over its so-called Red Ensign Group, which maintains separate registries for a long list of UK, Crown Dependency, and UK Overseas Territories all of which are British ships but maintain distinct registrations of merchant ships. Hong Kong maintains one of the worlds largest ship registries and is separate from the China registry, yet those ships are certainly considered to be Chinese ships by most of the world at this point.

To be clear, it would be good to see more vessel tonnage register in the United States under the current U.S. flag registry system, but I worry that it may be too nave to believe that this is possible with current U.S. laws regarding vessel construction, repairs, labor, and regulatory standards. And while many have argued for systematic reforms to those areas of the law, including the Jones Act itself, it is uncertain that - even if that was a good idea - those legislative and regulatory hurdles could be overcome in the near term. This proposal advocates maintaining the Jones Act in its current form and not disrupting the nature of domestic maritime trade and regulation. Rather it calls on the United States to compete in the international open registry market in a way that might enhance our domestic trade - boosting the Jones Acts positive impacts by feeding additional coastwise trade, provide additional maritime capacity in times of conflict, all while encouraging the shipping industry towards more environmentally friendly behavior.

Currently, the top registries of the world are open registries, meaning that any vessel may register there without any substantial ties to that country. Panama alone registers over 9,500 ships- a staggering number of vessels to maintain oversight and accountability for. These large open registries are not known for transparency and often inadvertently facilitate illicit maritime activity through a lack of robust due diligence practices. Under international law, these flag states maintain exclusive jurisdiction over those vessels on the high seas. Expanding the number of vessels subject to a responsibly governed, transparent U.S. registry would enhance the ability to prevent illicit activity, dangerous environmental practices, and labor abuses. The old adage: If you cant beatem, joinem might not be the most accurate argument here, but rather, If you cant beatem, leadem. This proposal seems to acknowledge the limitations of current U.S. maritime policy, while attempting to build a business-friendly, yet accountable and transparent U.S. option in the Virgin Islands.

There is little doubt that the U.S. lacks the merchant shipping capability to support extended wartime operations. This expanded pool of U.S. Virgin Island flagged vessels could be called upon to support U.S. Maritime Administration and U.S. Transportation Command sealift programs in times of conflict. Additionally, this proposal would seem to be well poised to bring economic benefits to the U.S. territory of the Virgin Islands. The U.S. Virgin Islands are heavily dependent on tourism and recent hurricanes have shown the vulnerability of a non-diversified economy. This new role as an open international registry for international shipping, alongside other maritime infrastructure developments, may be a long-overdue investment in our fellow citizens in the Caribbean.

Regardless of the merits of any particular plan, the important thing is to spur engagement from government and industry on this topic. It will be important for administration officials to consider this proposal carefully and craft a meaningful oversight role for the U.S. Coast Guard and other agencies with maritime governance responsibilities, while keeping this registry competitive and distinct from the U.S. registry. The time, however, seems ripe for a bold move in our maritime economy, as our current system is ill-equipped to compete with global maritime economic competition. Supply chain vulnerabilities, increased infrastructure spending, global tax reform, and calls for more transparency in multi-national corporations make this the best time for the United States to take a leadership role in maritime governance again.

It seems appropriate that the founding father who most championed our merchant marine was a native son of the Virgin Islands. As Alexander Hamilton reminded us in the Federalist #11, America has an unequaled spirit of enterprise, which signalizes [sp] the genius of the American merchants and navigators, and which is in itself an inexhaustible mine of national wealth. Its past time to put our genius back to work in revitalizing the maritime economy of this great maritime nation.

Jeremy Greenwood is aFederal Executive Fellow atThe Brookings Institution.

Top image:The U.S. and USVI flags in St. Thomas, 2018 (file image courtesy Lorie Shaull / CC BY 2.0)

The opinions expressed herein are the author's and not necessarily those of The Maritime Executive.

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Despite all the stress of Covid, cruising is still a dream – here’s why – Bournemouth Echo

Posted: at 12:46 am

Although a little nervous to set sail, first-time seafarer Fiona Webster discovers a holiday on the high seas is still a treat.

I've always been tempted by photos of stunning cruise ships you see in adverts, but as a holiday, I just wasn't sure if the sheer scale of it was for us.

"Stuck on a ship with thousands of others, really?" asked my husband, Carson. But lockdown had got to all of us, and the Sky Princess promised a getaway from it all, with stops at historical cities like Seville, where you can hop off and see the sights, or stay on board and chill. So, it took little persuasion for him to join me on a two-week, seven-port tour of the Med.

The first thing that hits you is the sheer size of the vessel. The Sky Princess literally has her head in the clouds, and you have to squint as you look up at its 18 decks. It normally carries 4,000 passengers with 1,875 crew - almost one crew member per passenger - but due to Covid, it was sailing at 60% passenger capacity for safety reasons.

Passengers must have received their second vaccine dose at least 14 days before cruising and have vaccination proof. Safety measures include mask-wearing in public areas, but not while seated in the restaurants and bars, or in exercise areas.

Embarking is easy, you can park right next to the ship and leave your car for the duration. No airport queues - you simply drop your luggage with friendly porters and step aboard.

On Princess Cruises, you are given an electronic medallion that gives you access to your room and allows staff to know what package you have booked and what you are entitled to. You just download their app to access all the information you need for your cruise, and staff are on hand to help if needed.

Our all-inclusive Princess Plus package included all meals, snacks and drinks at the restaurants, apart from the speciality restaurants, which charge a reasonable $25-$29 (18.85-21.86) for a four course meal. We were also entitled to 12 drinks a day each, including wine, cocktails and speciality spirits. How on earth were we going to get through all that?!

First stop was deck five, which had a mezzanine stretching up three floors and looked like the lobby of a five star hotel, with its grand piano and marble staircases.

Cafes and restaurants are in abundance, offering afternoon tea, speciality coffees, Italian ice cream, freshly made sushi, handmade pizza at Alfredo's Pizzeria, and the Estrella and Cielo's restaurants, which were included in our package.

There are also restaurants like Sabatini's Italian Trattoria, Bistro Sur La Mer and the Crown Grill, which offers succulent steaks. If you get peckish the International Cafe on deck 16 is open 24 hours, or you can call room service, and there are numerous bars on board to suit all tastes.

Our friendly steward showed us to our cabin, on deck 15, where first sight was our balcony looking out to sea, so you can sit out as you sail.

Waking up next morning to views of the ocean is a treat you don't forget. For breakfast, we tried the Estrella restaurant, where our attentive waiter offered us a choice of pancakes, crispy bacon, smoked salmon with cream cheese, fresh fruits, croissants or the full English.

You can also order breakfast in your room, or splash out $120 (90.47) for two for the Balcony breakfast, where staff serve chilled champagne, croissants, pancakes, bacon, smoked salmon, melon, ham, eggs, fresh fruit and jugs of coffee and tea on your balcony; a wonderful way to start the day.

To work off a few of the accumulating pounds, I decided to try one of the several pools on board and found one where you could watch movies on a huge screen as you swim.

But if swimming is not for you, there are countless other things to do. The daily schedule lists around 80 different events and activities starting with an abs class, then wine tasting, cocktail making, quizzes, craft-making, games and a singles get-together.

Musical entertainment included a classical pianist, a steel band musician, a string trio, blues band Excite, a jazz trio in the Take Five bar and West End style shows in the ship's theatre.

At the Lotus Spa, friendly experts offer services like hair cutting, massage, aromatherapy and acupuncture. I opted for an intense hair treatment, which was wonderful, and Carson enjoyed 75 minutes of being oiled, pummelled and soothed, courtesy of the Bamboo massage.

The Spa also houses the Retreat, a private area with a jacuzzi pool and stone beds that make you want to sleep as soon as you lie down, wonderful for relaxing.

Our day-long port visits included Seville, Barcelona, Marseille, Cartagena, Palma Majorca, Corsica and Gibraltar. Organised excursions range from $50 to $500 (37.69 to 376.95) or you can visit your own.

We picked an excursion to see Seville, which started with a walking tour, then lunch at a local restaurant of salad, fish, profiteroles and lovely local wine.

A few days later at the Majorcan capital of Palma, we hopped off the ship and on to a little wooden train, which cut its way through the mountains to Soller. This tiny city boasts shops, restaurants and an olive oil company where the family who have run it for centuries showed us how it is made.

The next day, we docked in the Spanish part of Cartagena, which boasts a Roman amphitheatre. We decided to tour this city on our own and enjoyed strolling along tree lined boulevards, stropping at pavement cafes for coffee.

Back onboard, we headed for our last port, Gibraltar, where we toured its ancient caves and met the famous free-roaming monkeys, who nonchalantly clambered across our bus.

The journey was sadly almost over. Did we enjoy it? Yes. The staff were super friendly and efficient, the food excellent, the ship luxurious, clean and comfortable, and we never felt crowded. Waking up in different parts of the world to explore was wonderful, and it's certainly less hassle than flying.

If you're considering cruising, try taster cruises of just a few days, then progress to longer ones if you like it. Is cruising for you? You won't know until you try...

How to plan your trip

Princess Cruises (princess.com; 0344 338 8663) offer the 14-night Mediterranean Adventurer from Southampton, visiting Spain, Italy and Gibraltar from 1,399pp, or sail on the all-inclusive Princess Plus fare from 1,819pp (includes premier drinks package, unlimited Wi-Fi and crew incentive). Departs April 30, 2022.

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Asia and the Pacific Regional Overview of Food Security and Nutrition 2021 – World – ReliefWeb

Posted: at 12:46 am

This most recent report on the state of food security and nutrition in Asia and the Pacific tells a grim story. An estimated 375.8 million people in the region faced hunger in 2020, which is nearly 54 million more people than in 2019. In this region alone, more than 1.1 billion people did not have access to adequate food in 2020 an increase of almost 150 million people in just one year. The high cost of a healthy diet and persistently high levels of poverty and income inequality continue to hold healthy diets out of reach for 1.8 billion people in this region.

The pre-existing food security and nutrition situation in Asia and the Pacific in 2019, described in last years report, was already quite discouraging. Progress had stalled in reducing the number of undernourished, and the prevalence of certain nutritional indicators, such as stunting in children under five years of age, was much too high.Since then, the situation has worsened. While it is not yet possible to fully quantify the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, clearly it has had a serious impact across the region. Even countries that initially reported a limited number of COVID-19 cases experienced the negative effects of the containment measures, combined with peoples health concerns, that led to a major contraction of economic activity around the globe. Disruption in food supply chains only added to the problems. The situation could have been worse without the response of governments and the impressive social protection measures they put in place during the crisis.

In building back better, future agri-food systems will have to provide better production, better nutrition, a better environment and better livelihoods. Our focus must revolve around the needs of small-scale family farmers in the region, as well as the needs of other vulnerable groups such as indigenous people, women and youth. These are the people that produce the nutritious food that everyone needs to eliminate malnutrition.

Most of you reading this publication probably take for granted the wide variety of food that we eat. However, the authors hope that you can stop and reflect upon just how miraculous it is that so many different foods are available to us. We have rice that comes from any of the millions of family farms around the countryside, grown with the benefit of centuries of accumulated wisdom and transported over rough roads in the rainy season; fruits from orchards that take years of investment before the trees will bear fruit, and are also subject to many different risks that could bring hardship to the grower at any moment; fish that are caught by fishers who brave rough seas in the darkness of early morning while most of us are asleep; meat and eggs that provide protein and micronutrients essential for healthy growth; nutritious vegetables; and spices that provide variety and flavour to our favourite dishes. Truly we should give thanks for all the work that is done by family farmers around the region. Where would we be without them?

This year there are opportunities to begin the hard work of advancing food security and nutrition through transforming agri-food systems such as the United Nations Food Systems Summit, the Nutrition for Growth Summit and the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference, also known as COP26. We must leverage the commitments made during these events to meet the second Sustainable Development Goal and eradicate food insecurity and malnutrition.

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Lessons on the high seas – Knox TN Today

Posted: December 13, 2021 at 1:52 am

One of my favorite classes when I was a student at the University of Tennessee was a speech class.Yes, part of the allure was that it combined two of my favorite things: writing and talking. And not just talking, but speaking to a captive audience who had to pay attention because part of their grade depended on how carefully they listened to what I was saying so they could give a thoughtful critique.

Win, win!

But what I loved best about the class was that the young, graduate student instructor a theater major couldnt stand the confines of the boring classroom in the high-rise Humanities building.

As soon as the halls were quiet, we would make our way outside to sit cross-legged in a circle in the grass with our young instructor in her tye-dyed T-shirt and hand-painted jeans leading the way. She would teach telling us the importance of first crafting a well-written speech and then, for the coup-de-grce, of presenting our thoughts with confidence and, most of all, flair.

When speech time came, we met at the Laurel Theater for coffee and speech presentations. From football players (there were a couple of senior Vols in the class) to me, a lowly freshman, we thrived in that class. The learning environment made all the difference.

That story is way too many words to tell you simply this: I am back in school for two weeks, and my learning environment is awesome. The beautiful Oasis of the Seas, one of Royal Caribbeans bigger ships, is taking me to the Western and Eastern Caribbean. The ship is filled with pools, hot tubs, restaurants serving everything from lobster to sushi to barbecue,

View from Oasis of the Seas of Royal Caribbeans private island, Perfect Day at Coco Cay

entertainment venues with live performances that range from country to rock to really bad karaoke to a Broadway-style production of Cats. You can play Bingo, gamble in the casino, surf on the Flowrider, play miniature golf or pickleball or go bowling. There is an Escape Room and two very scary looking water slides including one called The Abyss.

The Flowrider aboard Oasis of the Seas

And, an ice-skating rink where ice shows are presented at night and classes for travel agents are conducted during the day.

The first week we were at sea was more of an independent study week, as my official classes didnt start until this week. I took that seriously and did some exploring on the ship, asked a lot of questions of staff and crew and got to know a little more about the Royal Caribbean way of cruising.

This week is more formal training, and I have already learned many tricks of the trade that should up my game as a travel advisor. The networking is great, too, as we compare notes, hash out problems and exchange ideas on what works and what doesnt.

Truthfully, the venue does make the learning easier. The captain of the ship spoke to us today, telling us a little about himself and a lot about the state of the cruising industry from the Royal Caribbean point of view. The Covid pandemic changed many things for the cruising industry. The fact that they survived at all and are now on the road to recovery is a testament to how seriously many travelers take their love of cruising.

As an independent travel advisor, I am associated with a national organization called Cruise Brothers. Cruise Brothers will be 50 years old this year, and the grandson of the founder is with us to add his insight. Most of the presenters are on the CB staff, so our teachers know their stuff.

Like my speech teacher, they know how to embrace the venue and change the scenery when it needs to be. I didnt attend the networking event today, but the format was intriguing: A Pub Crawl!

I think my speech teacher would have liked that. I know she would have applauded the presenter today who told us to work on our elevator speech so that we are always ready to tell a potential client all about cruising.

Im working on mine. As a tribute to my UT training, I will try to present it with confidence and, most of all, flair.

Sherri Gardner Howell has been writing about family life for newspapers and magazines since 1987. She lives in West Knoxville, is married to Neville Howell and has two sons and three grandsons. Her newest adventure is as a travel agent with her own company, SGH Go Travel. Email her at sghgotravel@outlook.com.

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High Seas and NFTS Crypto Is Making Waves – BeInCrypto

Posted: at 1:52 am

A smooth sea never made a skilled sailor. But these days, who cares. The 8th sea the virtual ocean seems to be teeming with some very daring crypto seafarers. They dont even need to check the weather forecast anymore.

Wild things are happening in the deep blue virtual waters. From virtual yachts to ocean conservation, crypto isnt just keeping to dry land. Keep your crypto-hand steady because this is what you could be buying while navigating the high seas.

Crypto payments for luxury items are not uncommon. Different car companies have been accepting Bitcoin payments for a while.

However, an Italian 170ft superyacht has gone on sale in a global first, and the prospective buyer can pay in crypto. Not only are major coins accepted, but you can even put up an NFT.

Its not just any NFTs, however. With a price tag of $10 million, top-tier NFT collections are needed. These include the likes of CryptoPunks of BAYC Apes.

Should the buyer go this NFT-route, it would make it the largest-ever yacht bought with NFTs another crypto first.

In addition, the owner doesnt have to just keep the yacht to themselves. They have the option to hire it out for crypto or NFTs at $196,000 per week.

Its not only physical yachts that are selling out for crypto. The Metaflower NFT Super Mega Yacht only exists in the metaverse.

Sold for 149 ETH ($591,500), the vessel isa luxury boat in The Sandbox a metaverse video game. Inside, players can develop virtual land. The Sandbox has partnerships with Adidas, Atari, Nifty Gateway, Gemini, and rapper Snoop Dogg, among others.

The superyacht was sold by metaverse real estate firm Republic Realm. The transaction makes the boat the most expensive NFT asset ever sold in a video game. Currently, the realm has holdings in 19 metaverse platforms and owns over 2,500 NFTs.

You have a virtual superyacht. So how about an island to crash it into? Well lucky for you, Republic Realm is the developer of an archipelago called Fantasy Islands.

Like Decentraland, this world allows you to buy up private land to kit out and live as you like. It is a master-plan community made up of 100 private islands, each an NFT.

The NFT land and villa were sold together. The house-and-land packages were snapped up in under 24 hours. Today, the floor price for a Fantasy Island is nearly $300,000.

This makes the virtual island the same price as an actual average home in the U.S. But imagine owning virtual property in a rising market with no annoying problems like storm damage or spider infestations? It is a fantasy.

Although it doesnt end at islands and yachts, unsurprisingly, Fantasy Islands residents can also buy sea toys.The Fantasy Collection is a suite of luxury NFTs designed for use in The Sandbox. There are private islands, jet skis, and speedboats. Theres access to a members-only beach club and the Fantasy Marina.

The Fantasy Collection and the Fantasy Islands together have a market cap of over $30 million.

When it comes to crypto and the ocean, its not all NFT toys.Some seriously decent crypto projects exist to clean up the actual oceans.

Earlier this year, blockchain eco-project SafeEarth donated over $100,000 to TheOceanCleanUp charity.

The donated money was raised from taking a cut out of SAFEEARTH token transaction fees. The funds will go towards the removal of plastic waste.

SafeEarths sole focus is to generate capital and build a community that will repair the ecological damage done to the planet.

The project also collaborates with another green charity called The Earth Fund, which has raised around 50 ETH to be used for similar causes.

As a PR exercise, selling a luxury yacht this way is a revelation. The free worldwide publicity gained as the story catches fire is usually beyond most marketing budgets.

More importantly, this introduces mainstream news outlets to the idea that cryptos, and more importantly, NFTs, are now a thing.

However, there has to be some belief when it comes to the metaverse. Its one thing buying real-life items with crypto, one among a host of assets. Its another thing completely to invest in a world still under construction.

Whether its a PR stunt or something that will bolster the future foundation of crypto, these big-ticket items are only one part of the still-growing metaverse.

Its a brave new world with wild frontiers everywhere inside it.

What do you think about buying superyachts? Tell us here.

DisclaimerAll the information contained on our website is published in good faith and for general information purposes only. Any action the reader takes upon the information found on our website is strictly at their own risk.

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3 more Saildrones launched from Newport to help with climate research, weather forecasts – WPRI.com

Posted: at 1:52 am

NEWPORT, R.I. (WPRI) Three new Saildrones left Newport Harbor on Thursday, headed into the Atlantic to take important measurements to learn more about climate change and improve weather forecasting.

A Saildrone is an autonomous surface vehicle. Its actually powered by the wind and the sun, and it can spend up to 365 days at sea, explained Susan Ryan, Saildrones vice president of marketing.

3 more of these autonomous SailDrones were launched today from Newportheaded to the Gulf Stream to take important ocean measurements. pic.twitter.com/eRNGuqQ8Ib

The 23-foot, bright orange vessels have an array of instruments to measure ocean and atmospheric data for the University of Rhode Island.

Its really exciting to get three Saildrones to go out into the Gulf Stream, said Jamie Palter, an oceanography professor at URI.

The Gulf Stream is a river of warm water in the Atlantic Ocean off the East Coast of the United States. It can impact the weather and climate in the U.S. and Europe.

Getting data from there is quite challenging, however.

Ill be looking mostly at the carbon data that will allow us how to understand how the ocean is soaking up some of the atmospheric carbon, Palter told 12 News Meteorologist T.J. Del Santo.

Palter said theres some uncertainty about how much carbon the oceans absorb from the atmosphere, but her team is excited to learn more about that interaction.

URIs 53-foot ocean trawler, the Capn Burt, took media members, scientists and guests into Narragansett Bay to watch the Saildrones depart on their journey. One by one, the three vessels were towed out of Newport Harbor into Narragansett Bay, passing in front of the iconic Newport Bridge where they were released on the sunny but calm day.

We do anticipate theyll experience extremely rough weather, Palter added.

While on the high seas, the drones will also provide the position of the Gulf Stream, which will benefit the European computer model (ECMWF) and help improve weather forecasts.

I need all that data, too, to understand the air-sea carbon exchange, and together we can do both of these projects with a single platform, Palter said.

This Saildrone mission was funded by Google.org, the companys philanthropic arm.

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Seaman who retrieved dead bodies of asylum seekers still tormented by dangerous mission – The Guardian

Posted: at 1:52 am

A former seaman who had to retrieve the dead bodies of Indonesian and Somalian asylum seekers from the sea was so tormented by what he saw he is still haunted by the memories 10 years later.

He also said his attitudes towards the asylum seekers had radically changed after witnessing their desperation and suffering and the way they were being treated by the Australian government.

The seaman, anonymously identified as Witness BR2, told the royal commission into defence and veteran suicide he had been with the navy for less than a year when he was deployed on Operation Resolute.

Its mission, he said on Thursday, had been to intercept suspect vessels off Australias north coast.

But none of the rushed training the crew had prepared them what was to come.

BR2 said the first time he and the crew had found bodies in the water they were forced to abandon them because it was untenable due to the decay of a body at sea after time.

I remember one of my mates saying, I think that is a doll in the water. It was actually a baby. I just remembered he lost the innocence in his face a bit.

On another occasion, the crew had come across 230 Somali asylum seekers in rough seas in a vessel that looked like a doubledecker bus, he said.

He said during the rescue that night conditions had been so dangerous he feared for his life as he was forced to lean out towards the water as he tried to hook a line to the vessel from the ships crane.

This was at night time in high seas so there were quite a few times when it was that dangerous we had to wave off and come back round again, BR2 said.

During the process a female asylum seeker had been hit by the hook and knocked out.

He said on one occasion he had been moving a dead Somalian woman from the sea, and her child had become so distressed he had to comfort him because his father was in shock.

I was a pretty ignorant 21-year-old kid, thinking that these people dont deserve to come here because why are they jumping the queue, he said. That changed pretty quickly meeting these people. These people are some of the most genuine people Ive ever met.

He said he had felt a growing sense of guilt and anger because doing his job meant handing over people theyd saved just to put them basically in prison ashore.

BR2 said once he was back onshore he was haunted by what hed seen.

He had started drinking even more heavily to cope with his anger and distress and had daily thoughts of suicide.

After he and his crew put much on the line for these people and sacrificed a lot of our own mental health he felt they had been essentially lied to about their real mission.

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The commission heard that over the next four years BR2 struggled with his mental health without telling the navy, for fear he would be medically discharged.

He said the one psychological debriefing he was given after his first three months at sea took less than 15 minutes. It wasnt really a conversation, it was more a tick and flick, he said.

He told the commission the navys reliance on psychologists of higher ranks was too intimidating and stopped seamen seeking help.

It would take five years before BR2s drinking became so bad he was finally diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder and a raft of other mental health conditions.

Once classified as medically unfit he went from being a high flyer to having no future in the navy.

BR2 said he had since found his purpose, beyond defence. But there had been no support from the Australian defence force.

Essentially you feel like nothing, he said. If you do not train or attempt to train someone to move on from defence these people are more than likely to fail.

In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is 13 11 14. In the UK and Ireland, Samaritans can be contacted on 116 123 or email jo@samaritans.org or jo@samaritans.ie. In the US, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is at 800-273-8255 or chat for support. You can also text HOME to 741741 to connect with a crisis text line counselor. Other international helplines can be found at http://www.befrienders.org

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Modern day pirate marks sixth year in jail for keeping quiet on whereabouts of 500 gold coins – The A.V. Club

Posted: at 1:52 am

The problem with the world today is that people have forgotten the value of living by outlaw codes. Everywhere you look, the old values of high seas pirates go ignored. The youth are carelessly living their lives, disrespecting their hook-handed leaders and bragging about the spots where theyve buried untold riches in the sands of tiny Caribbean islands.

They would do well to model themselves after Tommy Thompson, a research scientist who still respects tradition enough thats hes about to mark a sixth year in jail for refusing to tell authorities where hes hidden a stash of gold coins he retrieved from a shipwreck.

CBS News explains that, in 1988, Thompson located the shipwreck of the S.S. Central America (otherwise known as the Ship Of Gold), which sank in a hurricane off South Carolina in 1857 with thousands of pounds of gold aboard. The gleam of treasure glinting in his eyes, Thompson apparently kept more of the gold he retrievednamely 500 gold coinsthan his expeditions investors would like.

Since December 15th, 2015, Thompson has been held in contempt of court and fined $1,000 each day for refusing to tell authorities where his gold is being kept. He was first ordered to appear in court to disclose the coins whereabouts by a federal judge in 2012 and, in response, took off for Florida, where he hid for three years until his arrest.

Six years since his imprisonment began, Thompson still refuses to explain where the treasure is squirreled away. Thompson says hes already said everything he knows about the coins, the article reads. It also gives us some excellent quotes from a hearing last year, that opened with a judge saying: Mr. Thompson, are you ready to answer the seminal question in this case as to the whereabouts of the gold?

Thompson kept mum and, just like the imperial sea powers of old, the American justice system has continued to punish him for adhering to a code they could never understand. Maybe, in time, Thompson will decide to relent ever so slightly while still keeping to his pirate morality and offer his captors a weathered map, covered in strange clues.

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Tesco toy sale starts today with discounts on LEGO, Barbie, Nerf and more – Whitchurch Herald

Posted: at 1:52 am

Tesco's last toy sale of the year starts todayand we can't believe the bargains to be had.

The supermarket is offering up to half price off its selected toy lines to help parents tick off those Christmas lists.

The sale includes discounted toys from your kids' favourite brandsLEGO, Harry Potter, Barbie, Nerf, Paw Patrol and more.

With less than two weeks left before the big day we know that many parents will still be looking for toy bargains for their kids," TescoCategory Managerfor Toys, Nursery and Sport,Anne Borrett said.

Two toy sets included in the Tesco sale. Credit: Tesco

The good news is that we have some great toy offers in our stores, including all the top brands such as Lego, Harry Potter, Barbie, Nerf and Fisher-Price with something for kids of all ages.

The sale will include some of our top sellers this year such as the Nerf Alpha Strike Mission Pack, Barbie Convertible Car and Doll, and Paw Patrol Pirate Vehicles.

Tesco's up to half price toy sale runs from December 13 to December 26.

Barbie Convertible Car and Doll

Barbie doll and convertible. Credit: Tesco

Barbie and your kids can cruise all day Christmas day with this convertible and doll.

The classic pink carhas two seats,rolling wheels, an open roof and silvery side view mirrors.

It was 32 originally but has been reduced to 16 in its major sale.

Paw Patrol Pirate Vehicles 2 pack

Paw Patrol Pirate Vehicles. Credit: Tesco

Calling all Paw Patrol fans, these pirate vehicles are also included in Tesco's toy sale.

Your children can spend hours on Christmas day playing with thesePirate Pups Chase and Marshall customised pirate ships.

Sail away on the high seas for just 12.

Funko Pop Mandolorian 4 pack

Funko Pop Mandolorian. Credit: Tesco

Star Wars mad kids will adore this Funko Pop Mandorlorian collectable figure.

Impress them with your knowledge of the force with his fan fact: it might look like Baby Yoda but this figure is actually called The Child!

Reduced from 40, you can add it to your basket for20.

Nerf Alpha Strike Mission Pack

Nerf Alpha Strike Mission Pack. Credit: Tesco

Your house might turn into a battlefield this Christmas but we think it will be worth every penny.

Tesco has discounted this Nerf Alpha Strike Mission Pack from 50 just in time for the festive season.

It can be yours for just 25 now.

Playdoh Create N Canister

Playdoh Create N Canister. Credit: Tesco

Get your kids doing some Christmas crafting and creating with this Playdoh Create N Canister.

The canister features 45 pieces to keep your children inspired throughout the festive season.

Reduced from 35, pick it up for17.50.

Paw Patrol Ready Race Rescue Vehicle

Paw Patrol Pit Stop Rescue Vehicle. Credit: Tesco

Come to the rescue this Christmas with the Paw Patrol rescue vehicle.

With a built-in launcher, figure and two vehicles, your kids will have hours of entertainment from this Paw Patrol set.

Instead of paying 40, you can get it for half price for 20 in Tesco's sale.

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Tesco toy sale starts today with discounts on LEGO, Barbie, Nerf and more - Whitchurch Herald

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Trawling for the truth – why New Zealand’s main method of fishing is so controversial – Stuff.co.nz

Posted: at 1:52 am

On the back of a petition, the Government is weighing up further restrictions on bottom trawling in fragile, underwater eco-systems. But the fishing industry says calls to ban the controversial practice are based on misinformation. Andrea Vance reports.

Just after dawn, on a bitterly cold September morning, five activists and their skipper slipped out of Bluff Harbour in a rigid inflatable boat.

For four hours they huddled in the bow as the churning seas buffeted the pontoons and the Roaring Forties whipped around them.

Eventually, the rusted hull of an enormous trawler rose out of the grey gloom, the sign they had reached their destination. Fiordlands snow-capped mountains rose from the shore behind them.

The vessel was positioned over the Puysegur Bank, a ridge deep beneath the shifting waves, and a productive fishing ground.

READ MORE:* Fisheries group opposes ban on bottom trawling of seamounts* Political reality means the Government won't act to protect oceans* This Is How It Ends: How we're driving our distinctive native penguins towards extinction

Shani Bennett/Stuff

A catch of mainly orange roughy caught in the Tasman Sea.

Film the Trawlers is a new project, begun by environmentalist Siana Fitzjohn, to document the activities of New Zealands commercial fishing fleet.

Top of mind is bottom trawling, a now controversial fishing practice where weighted nets are dragged along the sea floor, hauling some of our most popular fish: orange roughy, hoki and oreo.

The trawl doors disturb the sea bed, stirring up sediment which hides the net and generates a noise which attracts fish.

At first they swim in front of the net mouth, but as they tire they slip backwards into the net, finally falling exhausted into the tapered cod end.

For hours, the team watched, filmed and photographed as the San Discovery, a Sanford Limited trawler, worked. Also on board was Jasmine Black, who spent five years on Sealord trawlers.

Further south lies the Puysegur Benthic Protection Area, west of Stewart Island, where bottom trawling is restricted. In March Sanford Limited was ordered to forfeit a $20 million vessel, and fined $36,000 for illegally targeting orange roughy there in 2017 and 2018.

We're setting out to film the biggest and most destructive factory trawlers operating around Aotearoa, Canterbury-based Fitzjohn, 30, says. She has also campaigned for climate action group Extinction Rebellion.

Bottom trawling is out of sight and out of mind for most of us, because we can't see the nets scraping along the ocean floor picking up everything in their path. We want to meet the trawlers at sea and make these companies feel witnessed by the public.

Iain McGregor/Stuff

Siana Fitzjohn says her project aims to bear witness to industrial fishing practices.

The Puysegur Bank has multiple seamounts, ocean floor landforms which create an upwelling of nutrients. These attract marine species to feed, and for centuries have been known as good fishing sites.

But this ocean twilight zone is also home to delicate, slow-growing coral, and sea sponges, which are destroyed by the heavy fishing gear the doors that keep the nets open can weigh as much as 200kg.

New Zealand doesnt have the shallow, tropical reefs we often associate with coral. Its deepwater varieties provide habitat, sanctuary, and nursery areas for many other species.

These forests are often ancient samples of black coral taken from the Chatham Rise off the East Coast were estimated to be as old as 2,672 years. Bubblegum coral was aged between 300-500 years old.

IAIN MCGREGOR/STUFF

Mui dolphin and the New Zealand sea lion are on a countdown to extinction so why do politicians drag their feet?

Seldom seen or explored by humans, these underwater mountains are the focus of growing political awareness about the environmental impacts of industrial fishing.

Bottom trawling was also implicated in the collapse of populations including orange roughy and hoki.

In 2015, Chile became the first nation in the world to permanently ban bottom trawling around seamounts within its exclusive economic zone (its ocean jurisdiction).

A year ago, the Deep-Sea Conservation Coalition, an alliance of 90 NGOs, delivered a petition to Parliament, calling for a ban on bottom trawling on seamounts in New Zealands waters.

They argue little or no bottom trawling occurs on seamounts in the high seas in other oceans.

Iain McGregor/Stuff

Eugenie Sage is chair of a select committee deliberating over a ban on trawling seamounts.

The Environment Select Committee is considering the petition, signed by 52,000. It is chaired by MP Eugenie Sage, whos Green Party has gone even further, pushing for a total ban across New Zealands four million square kilometres of ocean.

Separately from the select committee process, Oceans and Fisheries Minister David has confirmed to Stuff that officials are working on new measures.

We are taking steps to review whether the current management settings relating to bottom trawling on seamounts and seamount-like features need to be amended, he said.

Fisheries New Zealand is working with the Department of Conservation to establish a forum to discuss approaches to managing the effects of trawling on the benthic environment in New Zealands Exclusive Economic Zone.

He said it is hoped the forums work would begin early next year.

The forums discussions will be supported by use of a spatial decision support tool that incorporates the best available information on the distribution of benthic species, fishing activities, and seamounts and seamount-like features.

In the last week Greenpeace presented a new, 60-page report to the select committee, which details the extent of rare, endemic species of coral found on seamounts, and how the depths that they live in overlap with commercial trawling.

It shows is that some of the rarest, unique corals found in Aotearoa are vastly unprotected from destructive fishing, oceans campaigner Ellie Hooper said.

The places where these corals live are the depths bottom trawlers operate at, and that the majority of seamounts in New Zealand are unprotected from this fishing method.

The report details how 196 endemic coral species, some of which are listed as protected by the Department of Conservation are vulnerable, because trawling is permitted in their habitat.

Protection doesnt mean anything in this case. Commercial fishing companies are permitted to destroy an unlimited amount of them, dragging heavy, weighted nets right through where they live, she said.

The latest report from DOC indicates seven tonnes of protected coral was dragged up by trawlers in last years fishing season alone.

Descend NZ/Matt Green

Black coral is among the fragile species at risk from bottom trawling.

Fisheries New Zealand data shows that in the 11 years between 2007 and 2018, 21 per cent of the fishable area within New Zealands waters was bottom-trawled.

And Greenpeace fears fleets are expanding into new unfished areas: in the 2017/18 fishing season, 455 square kilometres were trawled for the first time.

The DSCC also argues that New Zealand is now the only country bottom trawling every year in the South Pacific. As of April 2021, the government has issued permits to six trawl vessels belonging to four companies to fish in international waters of the South Pacific.

And the coalition points to recent convictions for illegal fishing in closed areas. Only one of the six New Zealand bottom trawl vessels currently permitted to trawl in the South Pacific belongs to a company that hasnt been convicted in the past year of illegal fishing in closed areas, the coalitions evidence to select committee states.

Nick Tapp/Greenpeace

Representatives from seven environmental groups presented a petition to ban bottom trawling on a giant model of paragorgia (bubblegum) coral outside Parliament in November 2020.

However, the $4.18 billion fishing industry is strongly urging the Government to reject the petition. It estimates 90 per cent of the catch, for both inshore and deep sea fisheries, comes from bottom trawling.

Collin Williams is Sanfords general manager of fishing, and has almost four decades in the sector, including a decade in compliance at the then-Ministry of Fisheries.

Close to 94 per cent of the companys catch is bottom-trawled. And there is no alternative to net the type of fish in demand from consumers, the ingredients in our freezer favourites like fish fingers.

The species that we bottom trawl are demersal fish, they're literally on the bottom. Things like orange roughy, hoki, you don't catch them with long lines.

We catch it by the most efficient and economical, and viable method to catch the volumes that we need to catch.

Deep Sea Conservation Coalition

A graphic from the Deep Sea Conservation Coalition illustrating what bottom trawling is.

Williams argues only 3.5 per cent, or 122,000sq km of the EEZ is subject to bottom trawling operations.

Since 2006, bottom trawling has been banned in a third of New Zealand's waters (although a large percentage of these areas were never viable for the method in the first place).

Williams says vessels furrow repeatedly over the same narrow tracks they wouldnt plunder an entire seamount.

A trawl corridor or trawl lane down a feature like that is a very narrow sector. We go to the same place, for very good reasons. We are not in the business of harvesting coral, we are in the business of harvesting fish.

As a result, much of what is hauled up is dead rubble, not live coral.

And he contends it has environmental benefits. Fish is one of the most carbon friendly, sustainable, sources of protein in the world. So it's a real positive food contributor for arguably the least damage to any terrestrial or subterranean.

One overseas study claims trawling releases more carbon in a year than the pre-Covid global aviation industry, but the industry strongly disputes its findings.

The sector, represented at the select committee by the Deepwater Group, also takes issue with conservationists definition of a seamount.

Greenpeaces report, and the evidence submitted by DSCC, describes a seamount as an underwater feature standing over 100m, and as such there are 800 in New Zealand. It is a classification used by DOC and many NIWA scientists.

However, the Deepwater group argues the internationally accepted definition of a seamount, as understood by the International Oceanographic Commission, the International Hydrographic Organisation and the New Zealand Geographic Board, is a feature with an elevation of more than 1,000 metres.

Under that definition, there are 142 known seamounts within the EEZ, 89 per cent of which are either closed to trawling or have never been trawled.

The group further claims trawling has only occurred on 9 (or six per cent) of seamounts over the past decade.

Hooper says the industry is arguing semantics. We know coral is growing in these areas.

Getting into what we define as a seamount is a pointless argument it is about the depth from the surface which determines whether these corals are going to grow there.

There are a large number of people in New Zealand now who support restricting bottom trawling. They see it as important to protect native biodiversity and the ocean, which we know is struggling. What is missing is the political will to rein in the industry and protect the environment.

Stuff

The fishing industry and conservationists are in dispute about the extent of trawling on seamounts.

Doug Paulin, Sealords chief executive says the fishing industry is tightly regulated to ensure a balance between conserving biodiversity while still providing jobs and food security.

Sealord, as the countrys largest deep sea fishing company, is always interested in pushing to do more, and we have several future based action plans that we are currently developing, he said.

We are also open to discussion with the Government, the public and eNGOs [environmental non-governmental organisations] on whether or not further management measures might be required.

We need to sit down and talk and ask, what is a viable place we can get to where we can assure that conservation is absolutely maintained at a world-leading status and that food production can still occur in New Zealands EEZ, including bottom trawling.

While politicians and the industry mull over policy, Fitzjohn is planning her next mission, pouring over maps and marine traffic data.

We hope that by filming as many trawlers in as many locations as possible over the next few years, we'll be able to help connect the public to the different habitats and species under siege, and get people on board with the kind of protection measures that the ocean so desperately needs, she says.

Unless we start to connect with the industrial scale of damage being done at sea, we'll destroy a lot of the precious ecology around these islands without even knowing what was there in the first place.

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